Accumulator bag



INKENTOR. Jean Meraer BY 44 ATTORNEY March 29, 1949. J. MERCIER'ACCUHULATOR BAG Filed Aug. 16, 1943 Patented Mar. 29, 1949 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE ACCUMULATOR BAG Jean Mercier, New York, N. Y.Application August 16, 1943, Serial No. 498,859 1 Claim. (Cl. 138-30)This invention pertains to hydraulic storage dcvices and moreparticularly to the type including two variable volume chambers formedwithin a container by a bag shaped diaphragm, in which one chamber is tobe filled with the fluid to be stored and the other with a gasusuallyair-under pressure.

The fluid to be stored is the oil or water for actuating hydraulic unitsand in practice the bag is generally filled with a gas and attached tothe portion of the storage device which is normally the upper portionthereof while a passage member is provided in the opposite, or lower,portion for supply and discharge of a liquid. It has been observed thatstorage devices of this type are subject to disturbances when they areoperated while turned upside down. This usually happens to the storagedevices when used on aircraft; therefore, the aforesaid disturbances maybest be removed by containing the liquid inside said bag and retainingthe gas outside thereof.

It has been observed, however, that the usual bag is injured after ashort time when operation 1' the storage device with the liquidcontained within said bag is attempted.

It is an object of the present invention to devise a storage devicewhich will be safe in operation when the liquid is inside of the bag butwhich will also serve satisfactorily with a gas inside said bag and theliquid in the chamber formed between the inside of the container and theoutside of said bag.

To that end, the interior of the bag is provided with an annularsmoothly curved guiding member of a moderate mechanical resistance. Thisguiding member is so positioned within the bag, approximately at thedividing section, that the bag forms into two halves, of which eitherside will be deformed but slightly and will be retained against the wallof the container while the other is free to advance and to retracttherein. When the bag is completely drained, each upper half will befolded down against its corresponding lower half, except for the portionsurrounding the guiding member.

The present invention is further concerned with an improved structure atthe end of the container where the .bag is to be introduced into andsecured to the same.

To that end the container is provided with 2. oval hole and the bag issecured to an oval duplex lid.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from thefollowing description of an embodiment thereof given by way of exampleand illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing. I designates the container and 2 the bag. Bag 2 carriesan annular guiding member 3 made of somewhat harder rubber or the likethan the bag and integral therewith. Conduit 4 connects container I toan auxiliary container from which a gas under pressure is supplied tocontainer I or vice versa. A passage member 6 formed with a plurality ofvery small holes is inserted into port 5 to protect bag 2 from injurywhen the latter completely occupies container I and tends to deform intoany sizeable openings.

Guiding member 3 must be so positioned that it will divide bag 2 intotwo halves I and l of approximately equal shape and size. Half-bag Iwill have very little deformation when the storage device is operated,while half bag 8 will expand and retract and will, when completelydrained, conform to the position of the half bag 1, except for theportion surrounding member 3. Half bags 1 and Bare shown in full linesin the position they occupy when container I is almost completelydrained. When fluid is admitted into container I to compress bag 2, halfbag I is, practically, not affected and half bag 8 assumes t e s apeshown in dotted lines when bag 2 is drained. The portion of guidingmember 3 which is not secured to bag 2 must be smoothly curved and havea well polished surface.

The guiding portion proper 9 of member 3- i. e.. the portion aroundwhich the bag may fold up-has preferably a circular curvature whosediameter is, at least, twice as long as the bags thickness in that area.

From portion 9 to the opposite end member 3 has a conically taperedshape, while the surface not permanently secured to the bag has a slightconcave curvature.

Container I is fitted with an opening II) which must be relatively largeto permit the introduction of bag 2 with guiding member 3. In order toclose opening Ill securely and conveniently,

notwithstanding the high values of pressure which may prevail when thestorage device is in operation, a lid according to the followingdescription has been found satisfactory.

Opening ID has a cross section of oval shape. The lid is composed of aninterior portion II and an exterior portion I2, both having also an ovalcross section and portion I2 having larger cross sectional dimensionsthan portion II. and openin Ill.

Portion II carries a tubular flange l3 traversing a hole in the centerof portion I2 and projecting beyond the same. Flange I3 is threaded onits outside so tnat a nut ll can be screwed on to draw both portionstogether.

Container I is reinforced along the circumference of opening I0 by ametal band I5 which is permanently secured to the area of container Iadjacent opening Ill. The remaining portion of band I5 projects intoopening I0 and reduces the cross sectional dimensions thereof so as tomake them smaller than the corresponding dimensions of lid-portion II.

The end face of bag 2 adjacent lid portion II is of increased thicknessand so applied to the same that the whole peripheral area of portion IIis surrounded on all sides by a layer of rubber or the like.

When the storage device is assembled nut I4 must be tightened until theperipheral portion of lid I I is firmly applied against band I5.

A liquid or a gas can be admitted to and exhausted from bag 2 throughthe hollow interior of flange I3. A passage member I6 is inserted intothe opening of flange I3 to the interior of container I to prevent bag 2from being forced into flange I3 when the bag is completely drained.

In the embodiment described above a complete bag 2 with its portions 1and 8 was described and this is considered the preferred structure.However, if desired, a part of half bag I extending between opening I0and a line I1 below and at a certain distance from guiding member 3 maybe omitted providing the remainder of half bag I is bonded to thesurface of container I.

The size of the area which has to be bonded depends upon thecontemplated maximum pressure in the storage device.

Also, if container I is composed of two half shells, half bag I may beomitted and portion 8then assuming the function of a diaphragmmay bemade to project to the outside and to be clampingly secured between therims of the 4 two half shells when the storage device is assembled.

The foregoing description is not intended to limit the present inventionwhich extends to all changes, modifications and equivalents within thescope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

Hydraulic accumulator which comprises a container, a first opening inone portion thereof, another opening in the opposite portion of thesame, a reinforcing band with an oval opening secured to the outside ofsaid container over the area adjacent said first opening and projectinginto the same, a passage member adapted to close said oval opening andincluding an interior element having slightly smaller cross sectionaldimensions than said first opening, an external element having slightlylarger cross sectional dimensions than said oval opening, a passageextending through the center of both said elements, means for clampinglysecuring both said elements together and to force the same to engagesaid band, and a bag made of a flexible and elastic material extendingto the inside of said container and secured to said internal element soas to completely surround the peripheral area of the same.

JEAN MERCER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ,of record 1n the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 20,887 Mercier 0ct.-18, 1938841,791 Lemp Jan. 22, 1907 2,105,160 Piquerez Jan. 11, 1938 2,273,457Zimmerman Feb. 17, 1942 2,278,688 Caminez .Apr. 7, 1942 2,299,611 ClarkOct. 20, 1942 2,421,076 Linton May 27, 1947

